The Child of Kul Elna
by IncurablyAwesome
Summary: Five-year-old Bakura left Kul Elna one day, only to have it destroyed while he was gone. After being rescued in the desert, he is taken to live in the palace.
1. Prologue

What if Bakura hadn't been in Kul Elna when it was destroyed to create the Millennium Items? This is a story of how different his life would have been if he hadn't known who destroyed his village.

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><p>I decided to put up chapter one of this new story I'm writing. I'm up to about chapter four, but I thought I should see if people like it before I do any more~!<p>

Before I start, I'd just like to say that some of these facts probably won't be exactly right (eg. Character ages, when things happen, how things work etc.) Mostly because I couldn't find the info anywhere. If there's an extreme difference, please let me know! I'll try to smooth it out, but if it's too important then I guess I'll just have to leave it for the sake of the story :(

I'm going to leave Bakura's name as Bakura, since I don't think Akefia was his actual name :/ I'm not sure – it wasn't in the English dub...what was it in the Japanese version? Anyway, I'm used to it being Bakura so Bakura it stays :D

Okie dokies :D I'll get started! I hope you like it ^.~

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><p>The village was burning all around them, but the men paid it no mind as they picked up the golden items that had once been the thieves in the village of Kul Elna.<p>

The Pharaoh's brother, Akunadin, turned to face the rest of his men. "Nobody is to breathe a word of how these were created to King Aknamkanon."

As the men murmured their agreement, they placed the newly formed Millennium Items away. Akunadin looked over the remains of what had been Kul Elna. "Alright, everyone move out," he said, mounting his horse and leading the party out of the smoking village. "We must be back at the palace by morning."

They rode without speaking for only a minute before one of the men called out. "Master Akunadin - up ahead!"

Akunadin pulled on the reins of his horse, which stumbled to a stop beside the object that had alerted the man. Akunadin dismounted and bent to see what it was.

At first glance in the dim light, it appeared to be nothing more than a pile of rags, with a bundle of white cloth on one side, but as Akunadin gently nudged it, it rolled over to show a tiny tanned face under a mass of unusual white hair. "It's a boy," Akunadin said so that the rest of his men could hear.

The boy, who couldn't have been older than five or six, had clearly fainted; his breath came in shallow gasps, and his face and clothes were filthy from having collapsed in the sand. Judging from the state of the clothes he wore, he must have been a peasant.

Akunadin got to his feet. This child must have come from Kul Elna; it was the only reason why he would be out here in the desert alone at night, so close to the village. Since the villagers had been nothing but petty thieves, Akunadin wouldn't have put it past them to simply leave a child somewhere whenever it suited their needs. Maybe the boy had escaped the village before it was completely destroyed.

At first, he was prepared to leave the boy there; the last thing he needed was somebody asking questions about Kul Elna. He may even have seen what happened, and if the Pharaoh ever found out the truth of how the Millennium Items had been formed, he would refuse to use them to protect the people of Egypt. Without offering the unconscious child so much as a second glance, Akunadin made to remount his horse.

But then an idea occurred to him. Slowly, he turned around to face the boy again. "Men, before we take the Millennium Items to Aknamkanon, we must ascertain that we are able to use their power, would you not all agree?"

"Yes, Master Akunadin." The assent was unanimous.

Akunadin bent down and gently lifted the boy; he weighed almost nothing. "We shall use this boy as a test subject for the power of the Millennium Items."

A gasp ran through the men. "Master Akunadin," said the man who had first seen the boy, "are you suggesting that we use the Items on a child?"

Akunadin turned to face him. "Don't you see? This boy was from a village of thieves; there will be some form of Shadow Creature growing in his heart from such a life. If we are successful, we will be able to expel this creature from him before it grows beyond his control - we would be helping him."

Without waiting for a response from the gathered men, he carried the boy away from the horses and left him on the ground, beside a giant stone. "Bring me the Millennium Items."

There was a scuffle among the men to follow Akunadin's orders, and the Millennium Items were brought to him. Remembering the ritual in the ancient scripture, Akunadin began with the Millennium Key.

He held the golden ankh up to face the boy. The men looked on in wonder as it began to glow. Akunadin gasped as he saw into the child's heart.

He could see another presence there; a Shadow Creature, small, as he had expected in such a young child, but a Shadow Creature nonetheless. It was a winged man, with a body that tapered to form a snake.

Akunadin didn't have to place the Millennium Eye within his own head in order to use its power to extract the tiny creature in the boy's heart; he held it up and it too glowed.

The boy, unconscious before Akunadin, suddenly convulsed. His sun-tanned skin began to glow also, and he threw back his head. Everyone looked on in awe as clouds of what looked like smoke rolled from his mouth into the air above them. And then, from the cloud of shadows, there formed the creature; it was small, since its host had little evil in his young mind, but with the terrifying potential held by all creatures to grow stronger as the darkness within its host's heart grew.

The Eye dropped to the sand as Akunadin grabbed the Millennium Rod. This would be the hard part.

He pointed the Rod at the Shadow creature, and beams of yellow light spilled from the Rod and enveloped the Shadow Creature.

The scripture had read that the Shadow Creature must then be sealed inside a stone tablet, but Akunadin was forced to use the giant rock beside the child. He turned, pointing the Millennium Rod at the stone. Shadows flowed through the Rod and into the stone, and when they cleared, an image of the Shadow Creature was etched into the rough surface of the rock.

The boy, still unconscious, collapsed face down in the sand.

Akunadin gathered up the Millennium Items. "We have freed the boy from the Shadow Creature within his heart before it grew enough to consume him. We shall take him back to the palace."

"What shall we tell the Pharaoh, Master Akunadin?" one of the men asked.

Akunadin looked at him. "The truth; we found the boy unconscious on the way back to the palace, and carried him back...but no more. Later, we shall return here and move the Shadow Creature-" He gestured to the rock "-to a more permanent home, in a stone tablet, as it was meant to be. Now come; we have many miles to cover still and this child needs food, water and a place to rest. When he wakes, we shall find out what he knows about Kul Elna and act accordingly."

As two of the men gathered up the small, white-haired boy, Akunadin remounted his horse and took off for the palace once more, the others in pursuit.

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><p>Okay, here's my logic; Bakura's only five, so Diabound hasn't had enough time to grow to be all nasty and evil like he is in Season Five. That's why they were able to trap him in a stone, which they weren't able to do in the series. And as for the stone...I couldn't find a good enough excuse to have a proper tablet in the middle of the desert. XD<p>

Don't worry; I didn't just 'kill off' Diabound in the first chapter as an easy excuse to make Bakura a 'good guy'...please don't flame me for that :'( He has more significance later.

I've probably made Akunadin out in this chapter to be a little more evil than he actually is...XD Please don't hate me~!

Anyway...what did you think? Chapter two? Please let me know :D

~IA


	2. The Palace

Hello again :D

So I'm putting up chapter two, since it's already been written and it's a bit hard to tell what the story is like based on the prologue.

As I said before, some things are probably not going to match up to the canon exactly. Please don't hate me :'(

I'm not used to portraying children. If Bakura seems a little older than five, then sorry :'D I'm trying XD

~IA

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><p>"<em>Daddy, wait!"<em>

_The boy was stumbling after the horses as the riders left Kul Elna. They drew to a halt, and one of them turned to ssee the small boy trying to follow them. Sighing, he dismounted and picked the boy up. "Go home, Bakura; you're far too young to go on raids."_

"Please_ take me with you!" Bakura begged. "I'm five now – I can look after myself!"_

_The man put his son down. "Bakura, go home. I mean it."_

"_Wait!" Bakura cried as his father joined the other horsemen and took off into the desert._

_Bakura looked back at Kul Elna. His father never let him do anything! It wasn't fair! His gaze followed the disappearing raiders. Well, not this time. Full of energy, he set off to follow them. _

_The desert was hot, but the sun was setting and soon, the cool night air was upon him. Bakura trudged on; he couldn't wait to see the look on his father's face when he arrived at wherever they were; he would be so impressed that he would never stop Bakura from coming on raids again._

_The moon was full; there was plenty of light to see by. Bakura felt his feet begin to tire, but kept going regardless. But soon, it was hard to ignore. The ache in his tiny feet was becoming horrible. Maybe he should just rest a while. He stopped walking. He would get there faster if he wasn't tired. That made sense. He sat down on the desert sand and curled up, closing his eyes. Just a short rest wouldn't hurt..._

_He blinked open his eyes. How long had he been asleep? His feet weren't sore anymore, but the moon was on the other side of the sky. He felt a rush of disappointment; his father's raid would be finished by now, and they would be back home, celebrating. And he would know that Bakura had tried to follow him. _

_He had failed. Wiping a tear from his eye, Bakura got up again. He would have to go home now...he turned to face Kul Elna._

_And what he saw caused his tiny heart to jump._

_He hadn't gone far from the village, but it was far enough to be unable to see it at night._

_However, he could see the thick clouds of black smoke rising up and blotting out the stars. Without thinking, he ran towards the village. Someone was burning Kul Elna! Had the people his father had raided followed him home? Had someone seen Bakura out in the desert and followed his tracks to the village? Was this all his fault? Bakura stopped, his heart pounding. How could this be happening? He started running again, this time slower. Before long, his feet were dragging in the sand. He had to get home; his parents, his friends...the desert started spinning before his eyes. He was getting dizzy from exhaustion. Had to get home..._

_The last thing he saw was the smoke, still climbing into the sky, as he collapsed face down in the sand..._

Bakura twitched. He didn't understand – he had collapsed in sand, so why didn't he feel sand against his face?

_Because it was a dream_...he smiled to himself; he hadn't really chased after the raiders. He was at home now, in his bed. His mother would be outside with his father, discussing what to do with their family's share of the loot. Soon, his father would come in with a present for him from the raid; maybe a gold medallion, or some new clothes. He hoped it was new clothes; he hadn't had new clothes in a while and he was sick of wearing a peasant's rags.

He could hear somebody nearby. He filled with excitement, and sat up.

For a moment, he thought that he was still dreaming; he was in a strange room, in a strange bed. The person before him was not his father; he wasn't even from the village. Bakura blinked, confused.

The strange man handed Bakura a clay pot of water, and he grasped it in his tiny hands, just realising how thirsty he was. He drank deeply, gratefully feeling the cool water rush down his parched throat.

"Drink as much as you want. We also have food."

Bakura wasn't listening; he was still tipping the pot backwards to drink the water. Most of it spilled across his face and onto the bed, but he didn't care. It was only when the pot was completely empty that he lowered it again.

The man took back the empty pot. "What is your name, child?"

Bakura eyed him suspiciously; his father had always said not to trust anyone who wasn't from the village. But this man _had_ given him water...

"Bakura," he said finally. "Who are you? Where am I? Where are my parents?"

"Don't worry, Bakura; you're in a safe place. My name is Akunadin."

"What about my parents? Are we in the village? Is it alright?"

Akunadin sighed. "I'm afraid that...nobody from your village survived."

Bakura didn't understand. "What do you mean? Does that mean they're not there anymore? Where are they?"

"Your parents are dead, Bakura. So is everyone from your village."

What?

Bakura felt disorientated. This was happening too fast. What was this 'Akunadin' talking about?

Bakura had started to cry. "But, why? I saw smoke...what happened?"

"My men and I saw the village burning and went to see what had happened. The whole village was on fire. We found you on the way back, out in the desert."

"But _why_?" Bakura sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Bakura; I don't know why. All I know is that you were the only survivor from your village and we took you back to the palace."

Bakura was silent for a minute but for his sobs. And then what Akunadin had said suddenly sunk in. "The...the palace? Why did you take me there?"

Akunadin patted Bakura's hand. "That's where I live. I'm younger brother to the Pharaoh, King Aknamkanon."

Bakura stared at him, his mouth gaping open. This man was the Pharaoh's brother? "Oh..."

"Are you hungry, Bakura?"

Bakura was; he had last eaten before he left Kul Elna, but he just didn't see how he could eat...

"You should eat something. Come with me." Akunadin stood up. Bakura didn't move.

"I...I don't want to."

"Fine then; stay here." Akunadin left the room.

Bakura looked around. He was all alone. It was a daunting thought, being in the palace of the Pharaoh...He scrambled to his feet and followed Akunadin. "Wait for me!"

Out of the room he had been in, there were other people. He could feel them staring at him, and he clung to Akunadin's robe like a life line as he followed him through the many rooms and corridors of the palace.

"Where are we going?" Bakura asked quietly.

"Right here." Akunadin stopped Bakura and led him into another room.

Bakura gazed at the room in wonder. He had never seen so much food in his life! Even when the raiders had just returned with food, they could never have dreamed of carrying this much! There was a table in the middle of the room, and on it was every type of food under the sun, and lots of it; all kinds of exotic fruits, bread, fish, meat...There were other people surrounding the table, eating. Bakura looked at Akunadin, and he nodded. "Help yourself."

Forgetting about his parents for a moment, he ran to the table and picked up some of the fruit. He saw the other people in the room staring at him, so he quickly backed off, clutching the food to himself. He started eating with one hand, and continued clutching Akunadin's robe with the other. He stared at the strange people, in their strange clothes...and they stopped staring at him and returned to their eating. He relaxed a little.

"Akunadin, why is there so much food here?" he asked, looking up at Akunadin with wide eyes.

Akunadin smiled, helping himself to the food on the table. "This is just what's left over from the feast that took place earlier today."

Bakura's eyes returned to the table. All of this was just left over? "What feast?"

"In celebration of the birth of the Pharaoh's first son; the future King of Egypt."

"Wow!" Bakura breathed. "You did all this just to celebrate one baby?"

Akunadin cuffed him over the ear. "Show some more respect; the baby is the future Pharaoh, and deserves to be treated with dignity and honour. His birth is a cause for great celebration."

"But you must have raided all the villages in the world to get this much!" Bakura said.

Akunadin cuffed him again. "We do not 'raid'. Raiding is for thieves who steal what they have not earned. We at the palace, and the rest of the people in Egypt, grow and trade our own food without stealing it from others."

Bakura was amazed; he had always assumed that raiding was the only way to obtain food and the other necessities of life. It had never even occurred to him that there were other ways.

Akunadin looked at him. "May this be your first lesson here, Bakura. Stealing is a crime and will be punished accordingly."

Bakura rubbed his ear. "Okay, Akunadin."

After they had finished eating, Akunadin took him out of the food room. "I will now take you to meet the Pharaoh."

Bakura froze in place. "What? N- no, I can't do that. I just...can't." He stared at Akunadin pleadingly. "I'm just a..."

"Don't be silly; he already knows you're here. I told him upon returning to the palace and he told me to take care of you until you woke. Now come along; we mustn't keep him waiting."

Bakura was too surprised to protest further, so he stuck close to Akunadin as he led the way through the labyrinth that was the palace. He could see all the people glance his way as they passed, but nobody questioned Akunadin.

They came to a halt outside a door. "Bakura, listen very closely. You are about to meet the king of Egypt."

Bakura nodded vigorously.

"You must treat him with the proper respect that he deserves. It is likely that he will be with his son, the baby. You will treat him as you would the Pharaoh. Understood?"

Bakura nodded again.

"And lastly, do not speak unless spoken to. He has asked for me to bring you here once you woke, but that does not mean that you can say whatever you like. Just stay with me and don't make a peep until it is required of you."

When Bakura nodded a third time, Akunadin opened the doors.

As instructed, Bakura stuck close to Akunadin, trying to make himself invisible by hiding behind him. He peered around himself at the room they entered. There was a throne at one end, and a large doorway at the other, opening out to a view of the kingdom. They had entered through a smaller door to one side.

The only other people in the room were the Pharaoh, upon seeing whom Bakura grasped Akunadin's robe even tighter, and a group of people in the same wealthy attire as everyone who lived in the palace. Around the Pharaoh were numerous slaves.

Upon seeing his brother enter, the Pharaoh dismissed the palace-people. Bowing respectfully, they left through the main front door and King Aknamkanon turned to face Akunadin properly.

"I have brought you the boy from the desert."

Bakura hung his head low, trying not to look at the King of Egypt. Eventually, however, his curiosity got the better of him and he peered up at him.

Aknamkanon was looked straight at Bakura, and the boy almost flinched. "Does he have a name?"

"Bakura."

"Come here, Bakura; let me see you."

Akunadin stepped away to give Bakura space, but ended up dragging him along; Bakura wasn't going to stand alone in front of the Pharaoh.

Akunadin nudged him. "Go on."

Bakura looked at Akunadin with fear in his eyes, and then took a few tentative steps towards Aknamkanon.

The Pharaoh regarded him. "How old are you, Bakura?"

Bakura's voice caught, so he just held up five fingers.

"Five. That's very grown-up."

Bakura nodded, still without saying a word. He didn't know what else he should do.

"Akunadin," Aknamkanon said, "since you were the one who found him, I am placing Bakura in your care; he may remain in the palace."

Bakura looked from Akunadin to Aknamkanon and back again. He would stay in the palace? For how long?

"On another matter, I'm glad you're here; I needed to speak to you about something," Aknamkanon went on. "Regarding the Millennium Items."

Bakura didn't know what the Millennium Items were, but he didn't understand most of what grown-ups said anyway. He suddenly noticed that both the Pharaoh and his brother were looking at him. "Bakura," Akunadin said, "why don't you go and wait outside?"

"There's no need," Aknamkanon said. "Bakura, come over here; there's someone I'd like for you to meet."

After looking at Akunadin and receiving a nod, Bakura went over to the Pharaoh. Bakura hadn't noticed it until now because he had been trying to avoid looking at Aknamkanon, but the Pharaoh was holding a small bundle. He held it down for Bakura to see, and he peered at the contents of the bundle, and saw that it was a baby wrapped up in a silk cloth. "This is Atem."

Bakura took an instant liking to Atem; after five years of being teased by the other children in Kul Elna for the odd colour of his hair, it was impossible not to be drawn to the baby's funny mix of black and purple, and the blond bangs that hung over his tiny face. Bakura heard Aknamkanon say something more about the 'Millennium Items', but he was no longer listening. He laughed brightly, and the baby Atem looked at him. Bakura twiddles his fingers above the baby's nose, and his tiny hands reached out and tried to grasp Bakura's. Bakura ducked out of Atem's line of sight, and jumped back a second later. Atem smiled a wide, toothless smile.

Bakura didn't know how long he played with the baby, but before he knew it, Akunadin was calling him over. Feeling embarrassed, Bakura backed away from the Pharaoh and resumed hiding behind Akunadin.

The brothers said their farewells, and Akunadin led Bakura from the room. As soon as it was behind them, Akunadin patted him on the head. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Bakura shook his head. "I liked the baby."

"I should hope so, since he's your future king. Now come along, Bakura; King Aknamkanon has just told me of a rather important meeting which I must attend, and I would hate to be late."

"Okay, Akunadin." Still clinging to Akunadin's robe, Bakura followed him away.


	3. A New Friend

Akunadin left Bakura outside one of the palace's rooms before going inside, telling him to wait there. Bakura sat down next to the door with his back against the wall. In front of him was what appeared to be a large open area in the middle of the palace. There were a few other people in it, but Bakura found it easier to keep his distance from the palace-people. He kept to himself and waited for Akunadin.

He didn't understand what was going on. His parents were dead, and he was going to be living in the palace. But why? Who were the people who destroyed Kul Elna? If only he had been there, he might have known. He knew that he was very lucky that Akunadin had found him, or he would be dead by now.

Alone with his thoughts again, he felt himself starting to cry. He was big enough to know that 'dead' meant he would never see the dead person again, and his parents and the rest of his village were dead, which meant that he would never see them again. His tears started flowing more freely. It wasn't fair! Why couldn't they have taken him with them when they had left the burning village? Why hadn't they come to look for him first?

"Why is your hair that funny colour?"

Bakura looked up to see a boy of about his own age. This boy had shoulder length brown hair and was wearing the same well-kept clothes as the other palace-people. He was holding a large wooden ball. Bakura squeezed his legs to himself and didn't answer, keeping his eyes fixed on the strange boy.

"Why are you crying?" the stranger asked.

Bakura furiously rubbed his eyes, angry that the other boy had seen his tears. "I'm not."

"You were a minute ago," he said matter-of-factly.

"I was not!"

"You were too!"

"No I –"

The other buy cut him off. "What's your name?"

"Bakura," he answered suspiciously.

"I'm Mahad. It's nice to meet you, Bakura."

Bakura felt a bit more comfortable now that he knew this boy's name. "I'm not from around here, but I'm going to live in the palace now."

"Why?"

"Because my village was burned."

"But, why? By thieves?"

Bakura was confused; why would thieves want to burn his village? "Of course not."

Mahad put his ball down and sat next to Bakura. "Okay."

"I just met the Pharaoh," Bakura said suddenly.

"Really? That's pretty cool; did you meet Atem too?"

"The baby? Yep, I met him." He looked crestfallen. "Have you met them before?"

Mahad nodded. "I went and visited the baby this morning."

Bakura prodded Mahad's ball, and it rolled away a little. "Do all of the palace-people get to meet the Pharaoh?"

"Not usually." Mahad got to his feet and picked up his ball again. "Here!"

Bakura tried to grab the ball that Mahad threw, but it slid between his hands and hit him in the chest. "Ow!" he exclaimed, getting to his feet. He picked up the ball. "What was that for?"

Mahad laughed. "You were supposed to catch it."

Bakura grinned and threw the ball to Mahad. Caught off-guard, he fumbled before dropping it. "So were you," Bakura said.

"I bet you can't kick!" Mahad exclaimed, laughing as he kicked the ball towards Bakura. Bakura had spent hours playing ball games in Kul Elna; it was easy to kick it back. He had misaimed, however, and it went skidding off past Mahad into the open area behind them. Laughing, the two children ran after it.

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><p>It was a while before Bakura heard Akunadin call him back. He was about to catch the ball at this time, and the sudden distraction led to the ball hitting him on the chest again. "Ouch!" he exclaimed.<p>

He looked over to see Akunadin standing outside the room he had gone into. Picking up Mahad's ball, Bakura looked over at his new friend, and then over to Akunadin. "Oh..."

"Come on, Bakura!" Akunadin called again.

Bakura dejectedly handed Mahad his ball back.

"Come and play with me again later!" Mahad said.

Bakura nodded. "Yeah! I'll see you later!" Waving goodbye regretfully, Bakura ran up to Akunadin. Akunadin looked at Mahad and nodded a greeting to the boy before leading Bakura away. Bakura followed him, casting another look over his shoulder at Mahad.

"Can I come back here later?" he asked.

"Of course, if you want; but later."

Bakura looked up at Akunadin's face, frowning. "What's that thing in your face?"

He hadn't noticed it from a distance when Akunadin had called him over, but Bakura now realised that in place of one of his eyes was what appeared to be a gold Eye. He stared at it, transfixed.

"It is called the Millennium Eye...it is a new addition to the palace stronghold, and I have been entrusted with its care."

"Are there more? Can I have one?"

Akunadin smiled to himself. "No...that would be a bad idea."

"_Please_?"

"No, Bakura!" he snapped.

Bakura jumped as Akunadin addressed him harshly. "Oh...I'm sorry."

Akunadin looked a little calmer when he responded. "Not to worry. Now come along; you will have a lot to get used to in this new way of life in the palace. You will be taught to read and write, as well as the art of battle and how to ride a horse. There will be time for you to play, but you will also be expected to focus some attention on your learning, understand?"

"Yes, Akunadin."

"And –"

"Will I learn about the Mill–en–ee–um Items that you keep talking about?" He smiled, proud of successfully saying the big word.

He sighed. "Yes, I suppose it would pay for you to learn about those as well; we are likely going to be using them a lot around here in the foreseeable future."

"Yay! Thank you, Akunadin!" Bakura threw his arms around Akunadin's legs.

Akunadin looked uncomfortable for a moment. "...You're welcome."

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><p>Please review ;D As a fanfic writer, I have no life and therefore live for reading your reviews XD<p> 


	4. Growing Up

This chapter is a little short :( Sorry XD Hope you like it, though :D

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><p>Eight-year-old Bakura had a spot just within the palace walls. There was a tree that offered shade from the hot Egyptian sun, and he and Mahad often came down there when they weren't having lessons.<p>

On this particular day, however, he was there by himself.

He had been studying magic for three years now, and he was picking up the simple spells that they were taught with ease. They weren't particularly hard; keeping away insects and turning rocks into wood. He sat with his back against the tree, practicing.

He had noticed that Mahad had a natural talent; his friend had a great deal of power, and even their teachers had been shocked by the ease with which he breezed through the spells. He had even moved on to assisting the younger children with their first magic.

Bakura knew that he would never be as good as Mahad, but it didn't worry him too much; he was happy with the way things were.

The heat was getting to him, and he yawned. Outside or in, it was hard to escape the blazing summer temperatures. He made his way back to the palace, wondering if there was any food left.

Usually, he spent his free time practicing magic or playing with Mahad, but today he was at a loss as to what to do; it was far too hot to focus on anything, and Mahad was busy.

The Pharaoh's son, Atem, was now three years old. He was a very bright boy, with an adventurous spirit that showed even at his young age. It took almost constant care and supervision to keep him out of trouble, and on many occasions, it had fallen to Mahad and Bakura – the seemingly inseparable pair – to look after him.

Today, Mahad was with him, showing the young boy a few simple magic spells. Bakura knew that he couldn't compare to his friend, and, feeling awkward, had left them to it.

Bakura sighed, kicking a pebble. He supposed he would go and find Mahad and Atem – he would probably benefit from watching Mahad, since his friend was so much better than him. He headed back to the place where he had last seen them.

They were still there.

Bakura wasn't in the least bit surprised to see that it was no longer just the two of them. Another of the palace's three-year-olds, a girl named Mana, was sitting beside Atem, watching Mahad as he caused a flower to appear in the air. Laughing, the little girl grabbed at it, and accidentally fell forward. Mahad instantly caught her before she fell face-first into the ground.

Even at their young age, Mana and Atem were barely apart. This was hardly surprising; it was only natural that Atem would gravitate to someone who could cause nearly as much trouble as him.

"Mahad!" Bakura called, running up to them. They each turned to face him. "Bakra!" Atem squealed as he and Mana flung their arms around him.

"Where did you disappear to before?" Mahad asked.

Bakura shrugged. "Just practicing," he said. "So what are you doing with these two, besides flowers?"

Mahad rolled his eyes. "Not much; it doesn't take much to entertain them," he said, demonstrating by waving his hand above Mana's nose and splashing water on her face lightly. She giggled.

"Why don't we take them somewhere?" Bakura suggested. "They're always trying to explore. They'd love it."

"Yeah, but where? They aren't allowed to go anywhere exciting."

Bakura sighed. "I suppose. I'd hate to be the Pharaoh's son."

"Oh well – let's just take them around the palace. There's plenty to see without going anywhere forbidden."

* * *

><p>Mahad had been right; it didn't take much to entertain the three-year-olds. Mostly, it involved giving them their heads and simply stopping them from venturing anywhere they weren't allowed. Because of this, it became their sole purpose in life to throw their babysitters off their trail somehow, or simply convince them to let them do whatever they wanted.<p>

By the end of the day, however, they were both bleary-eyed and having trouble keeping their heads up. Bakura and Mahad had to literally carry them back to their nursery.

Mahad looked at Bakura as the two of them exited the nursery, leaving Mana and Atem already fast asleep. "I miss being little," he said almost wistfully. "Everything was so much easier with no lessons and stuff."

Bakura laughed, amused. "_You_ miss not having lessons? You're the best at absolutely everything; I can barely keep up."

Mahad rolled his eyes. "That's not true; it's just because I got a year head start. You're really good."

Bakura fell silent for a moment. Mahad instantly regretted what he had said, but didn't know how to take it back. "I mean, it's not your fault that you started later..." he added hastily.

He wanted to bite his tongue off; he knew Bakura felt uncomfortable when his past was brought up. "Um...sorry."

Bakura looked at him sideways.

Mahad was silent for a moment too. Suddenly, Bakura broke the silence.

"You don't need to be sorry."

After a moment, he went on.

"You know, Mahad...it's getting harder and harder to remember what it was like...before I came here. I mean, it was only three years ago, but...it's like this is all I have now." He sighed. "Well, this _is_ all I have now...but it's just...starting to seem more and more like I've always been here, and that everything that happened in Kul Elna was just a dream."

Mahad felt sorry for his friend; he wished he could share his feelings and understand what Bakura was going through, but he couldn't. He had spent his whole life in the palace; he had no idea what it was like to live anywhere else. He squeezed Bakura's shoulder gently, hoping to offer some kind of support.

Bakura shook his head to clear it. "Anyway, we should probably find Master Akunadin before he finds out that we haven't done any study at all today."

Mahad grimaced and nodded his agreement before the two boys took off to begin searching.

* * *

><p>When you're eight...you think you're so grown up XD<p>

I don't know what it's like for kids in Ancient Egypt growing up in a palace – even Google couldn't tell me! But I'm assuming they must have some kind of nursery :/

As to the idea of eight-year-olds acting as babysitters...I have nothing to say. Deal XD

Please review :D


	5. Shadow Creatures

This chapter was HEAPS of fun :D It gets pretty ridiculous towards the end XD...you'll see what I mean ;P

* * *

><p>"Bakura!"<p>

Bakura recognised the voice and turned around just in time to see Atem running towards him on his tiny legs.

Smiling at the young boy, he dropped his spear. "What is it, Atem?"

Before Atem could speak, Bakura felt a sudden weight drop onto his shoulders. He jumped slightly as he felt a pair of hands wrap around his head.

"Hi, Bakura!" Mana squealed gleefully, grabbing Bakura's long white hair to keep herself from falling off.

Bakura laughed, amused; he shouldn't have been surprised that Mana was nearby if Atem was. Looking up, he saw that she must have been concealed in the tree above him. "What's up?"

"Play with us!" Atem pleaded.

Bakura almost groaned. _There goes my training time._ "Can I play later," he asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, now!" Mana insisted, pulling at his hair incessantly. Sighing, Bakura reached up and gently pried the little girl's hands loose.

"Okay, then. What did you kids have in mind?"

The two five-year-olds squealed with delight, and Atem grabbed Bakura's hand before rushing off in the direction from which he had come.

* * *

><p>Bakura never ceased to be amazed by young Atem's natural gaming talent; even at five, he was undefeatable in any game that didn't rely on luck or strength. Although, on this occasion, Atem and Mana soon abandoned all other games in favour of 'who can tackle Bakura the hardest'.<p>

The fact that Bakura was ten and they were five minimised the risks involved with such a game, but it still succeeded in tiring them out.

"Bakura?" Atem asked quizzically as he and Mana settled down on the ground in front of Bakura. Bakura could sense that now playtime was over, it was time for a barrage of questions; one of many things that Atem and Mana never had in short supply.

"Yes?"

"Bakura, who are those people who are always with father?" he asked. "The- the-" He took a deep breath. "The...Say-cred-gar-dee-uns?"

This question surprised Bakura. "Your father hasn't told you?"

The existence of the Pharaoh's Six Sacred Guardians and the role they played wasn't exactly common knowledge around the palace, but it wasn't a secret; as Akunadin's pupils, Bakura and Mahad had been taught about them – and the Millennium Items that each of them held – since they were Atem and Mana's age.

Atem hesitated. "He said that it was their job to use the Mill-en-ee-um Items to protect the kingdom. But I still don't understand..." He looked embarrassed.

Bakura ruffled his tri-coloured hair reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll explain it to you. It-"

"Yay!" He and Mana tackled him again. "Thank you, Bakura!"

Once they had settled down and were staring at Bakura intently, he began.

"There are seven very special items, called the Millennium Items. Each of the items has its own magical power."

"But where did they come from?" Mana asked.

Bakura remembered what Akunadin had told him. "They were created with an ancient ritual from a very old text, so that they could be used to protect the people of Egypt.

"Each item has a Sacred Guardian who is chosen by the Millennium item itself to use it. They make up the Pharaoh's Sacred Court, and these six Guardians, as well as the Pharaoh himself, use the Seven Millennium Items to protect the kingdom."

"That's so cool!" Atem exclaimed. "I want to be a Sacred Guardian."

"Me too!" Mana chimed in.

"It isn't quite as simple as that; no matter how hard someone trains or practices, it all comes down to who the Millennium Items choose to be their guardians. Of course, they're more likely to choose you if you're strong in magic and well trained, but it isn't any person's decision."

They were silent while they digested all this information. Bakura could tell that they didn't understand all of it – he couldn't blame them; it was a lot for a five-year-old to take in.

"And there's more to the Sacred Guardians than just the Millennium Items," he continued. "They also have to learn to control Shadow Creatures."

"Shadow Creatures?" they chorused. Mana shuddered.

"Inside the very souls of some people, there are Shadow Creatures; they feed on the darkness inside people's hearts and force them to commit crimes and make them evil, giving the Shadow Creatures more darkness to feed on. The Sacred Guardians have the power to draw these creatures out and seal them away inside stone tablets, where they can't hurt anyone."

"Wow!" Mana breathed. "That must be hard. The Guardians are so brave!"

"They sure are," Bakura agreed. "And it get's cooler; sometimes, after being drawn out, a Shadow Creature will attack the Guardians, and they have to battle it."

"On their own?" Atem asked, wide eyed.

Bakura shook his head. "No – you see, once a Shadow Creature has been sealed inside a stone tablet, it's placed inside a tablet shrine. There are seven tablet shrines – one for each of the seven items – and the Sacred Guardians are able to summon a Shadow Creature, whose tablet has been placed in their shrine, to help them in battle; using a magical device called a DiaDhank."

"Oh, wow!" Atem exclaimed. "So the more tablets that are in their shrine, the more different types of Shadow Creatures the Guardians are able to summon!"

"I want to see a tablet shrine!" Mana cooed.

"Me too!" Atem jumped to his feet. "Bakura, please take us!"

At this, Bakura froze. "What, to a Sacred Guardian's tablet shrine? No way! Kids like us aren't allowed to go."

Their faces both fell. "Ple-ease, Bakura? Please!" Mana whined. "It won't be long! And we'll stick right by you the whole time! And we'll never tell anyone!"

Bakura shook his head, his mind made up. "No; we'd get in trouble if we were caught, and I'm not taking you. Why don't you ask Mahad?" he added, knowing full-well that there was absolutely _no way_ that his friend would agree to something like that. It would, at the very least, buy him some time to escape their demands.

"But what's so bad about going to the tablet shrines?" Atem asked. "You said that the Shadow Creatures can't be summoned without one of those 'Di-ah-dunk' things."

Bakura hesitated. "Well...they can't. But that's not the point! You can't just go wandering into wherever the grown-ups say you can't; it could be dangerous."

Atem was confused. "But you'll be there to protect us, won't you?"

Despite everything, Bakura felt touched by the faith that the Pharaoh's son had in him. "Of course I would! But I-"

"Thank you, Bakura!" Atem squealed. Before another word could be spoken, he and Mana had taken off again.

Bakura jumped to his feet in pursuit. "Hey, wait! Come back; I didn't say yes!"

* * *

><p><em>Oh, by the gods! I can't believe I'm doing this. I just <em>can not_ believe I'm doing this!_

They had been travelling for a while now to reach the ridge of the hill overlooking the seven tablet shrines. Atem and Mana had been alternating between riding on Bakura's shoulders, and the ten-year-old's feet were aching.

But they had arrived. Looking over his shoulder for the hundredth time, Bakura started descending the hill towards the shrines, with Mana on his shoulders and Atem in tow.

The way he saw it, there was no way that anyone would ever take Mana and Atem to a tablet shrine; and for that very reason, they would devote their entire existence to sneaking out and going by themselves. And however close a watch was placed on them, they would eventually achieve their goal.

However stupid of them this was, they were only five; Bakura couldn't allow them to go on their own when he could have been there to take care of them. So he had decided to take them to the shrines; if they were going to break the rules, he would make sure they were safe whilst doing it.

This was the closest that he had ever come to the shrines. It wasn't particularly far from home; Bakura had seen them activate during Shadow Games dozens of times from the palace. But he had only visited the site once, with Mahad; Akunadin had taken them to see the shrines up close.

Bakura shuddered to think of what Mahad would think of him if he heard that he was going to a place expressly forbidden to children; friends though they were, Mahad would be disgusted to hear that he had broken such a rule. And with the Prince himself, no less.

Akunadin was another matter entirely; shuddering didn't quite sum up the thought of Akunadin discovering Bakura here.

Bakura set Mana on the ground, and she scuttled over to Atem. "Wow! They're so amazing up close," she breathed.

Bakura nodded. "They sure are." He looked around, and gestured to the one closest to them. "That one's Master Akunadin's. And that really big one over there," he said, pointing to the furthermost shrine, "is King Aknamkanon's."

"You mean my father's?" Atem asked excitedly. "Wow! Let's go to that one!"

Bakura caught both of them by their clothes before they could run ahead of him. "No; not that one."

They looked like they were going to protest, but clearly thought better of it; Bakura wasn't taking them to the shrine of the Pharaoh, and this was one matter on which he would not be swayed.

Atem still looked disappointed, but Mana got over it in a hurry. "Let's go to Master Akunadin's, then!"

Bakura grimaced, but nodded. He approached the entrance to the shrine, keeping the kids behind him in case there was some kind of trap; who knew what lay inside with the tablets.

Tentatively, he took a few steps inside. The others followed closely.

There were twin gasps behind him. "Wow! Oh, _wow_!" Atem whispered. "There are so many of them!"

And there were; rows and rows of stone tablets lined each wall, and the high walls allowed the rows to be stacked atop one another. There must have been hundreds of tablets in this shrine alone.

And etched into the surface of each tablet were Shadow Creatures. Some were big and fierce, the likes of which Bakura couldn't have imagined; giant monsters that needed tablets so big that they occupied most of their wall. Others were smaller, but gave off an eerie presence that chilled the young Bakura to his bones. Some were tiny and seemingly useless; pushed aside without ever having been summoned.

Despite the fact that he knew he shouldn't be enjoying this, Bakura was in awe to be surrounded by so many of the trapped creatures. He barely noticed Mana and Atem taking off to explore the assortment of tablets. Bakura walked along the rows of Shadow Creatures. _Each one of these was born inside the heart of a living human being, _he thought_. Something really horrible must have happened to them to make a creature like one of these form. _

He stopped in front of one of the tablets, running his fingers over it absentmindedly. Even if he hadn't known better, he wouldn't have simply believed it to be a strange stone depicting a monster. There was something chilling and lifelike about each tablet.

"Aww! This one is so cute!" Mana cooed. "Atem! Come look at this!"

Bakura looked over to see the young prince running to join his friend at the stone she had found, and went over to see what it was.

It was one of the smallest stones there. The creature on it didn't look scary at all; it was simply a fuzzy ball with a small face and feet. Absolutely no use in a Shadow Duel.

Despite this, Bakura recognised it. "That's called 'Kuriboh'," he explained. Mana and Atem looked up at him. "Akunadin summoned it once to show me and Mahad how the DiaDhanks worked; it isn't much good for anything else."

"It's cute, though," Mana said, instantly defending her new favourite Shadow Creature.

Bakura nodded. "It sure is; maybe Akunadin will summon it for you some time."

"It must be weak compared to one of those big monsters," Atem said. "But what about against a person? What if it just attacked someone?"

Bakura shrugged. "Well, it's been trapped in a tablet, so it won't, but...I guess it would be dangerous to an unarmed human. Shadow Creatures are dangerous when they're not being controlled; even the small ones can be a threat if you don't have any protection."

Mana hugged the stone. "I want to take Kuriboh home!"

Bakura laughed. "Maybe next time."

Atem ran his hands over the surface of the stone, his face awed. Despite the presence of many far more impressive monsters, Kuriboh had clearly captured his interests.

And suddenly, the shape of Kuriboh etched into the stone tablet began to glow brightly.

There was no thought in Bakura's next action; with one sweeping motion, the two five-year-olds were pushed behind him and he was backing them away. "Stay behind me," he hissed.

The whole stone radiated a sudden burst of brilliant light. Bakura had to cover his eyes.

The light seemed to be focusing on a point in front of the stone tablet. Bakura held Atem and Mana back while they peered tentatively around him. All three children watched in awed silence as the light formed a shape, and then faded to show Kuriboh hovering in the air in front of the now empty tablet.

Somehow, they had summoned it.

Mana squealed with delight. "It's the Kuriboh!"

"No! Get back!" Bakura yelled, yanking her back as she ran towards the Shadow Creature.

Just in time to miss the swipe of its claws as it lunged itself at her.

As Bakura had said, Kuriboh was little threat to anyone who wasn't unarmed. But they were unarmed. And they were children.

Kuriboh's short, stubby claws weren't much use as a weapon against a larger monster, but when they narrowly missed Bakura and the others a second time, he didn't care.

"Go!" he yelled, herding the two kids away from Kuriboh as it backed off for another attack.

"How did we summon it?" Atem exclaimed.

"I don't know, but we did! And it's angry!"

Bakura was thinking fast. The shrine was large, but there was no way towards the exit that the Kuriboh wouldn't be able to cut them off from first. He could try distracting it while Atem and Mana escaped, but that wasn't a risk he was willing to take; after all, it had appeared after Atem touched the tablet. What if it attacked them instead, while Bakura wasn't there to protect them?

There was no more time to think. Kuriboh made another swipe, this time at Atem. Panicking, Bakura shoved the little boy clear of the attack a moment before the tiny monster whizzed past where he had been a moment before.

He grabbed both of their hands and made for the exit. "Run!" Forgetting all about the trouble he would be in, he let out a piercing yell. "Help! Somebody help!"

He was almost at the exit. He didn't know what he would do then; Kuriboh could always follow them out. But he didn't care; the more distance they put between themselves and the fierce little monster behind them, the better.

And then the unthinkable happened. Mana's hand slipped out of his, and she toppled to the ground in a daze.

"_Mana!" _Atem screamed, trying to go back.

"Oh, no you don't." Bakura gave the boy another hard shove, sending him stumbling out of the shrine. "Run!"

He was already running back to Mana, and he managed to pull her clear of yet another attack. Kuriboh hit the ground beside her and bounced back, already looking for its next victim.

Bakura gathered up the little girl, whose forehead had started to bleed after her impact with the hard floor of the shrine. She was too shocked to make a sound, but her eyes were open and her mouth agape as she tried to form some kind of word.

Predictably, Atem joined them a moment later.

"I told you to-" Bakura's yell was cut short as he felt Kuriboh's short claws slash across his face. The cuts weren't deep, but the Shadow Creature had come far too close for comfort. He and Atem made a dash away from Kuriboh.

It was backing them into a corner, but there was nothing Bakura could do except hope that somehow, help would arrive in time to save them.

Bakura stopped, finally faced with nothing in front of him but tablets. Everything seemed to slow.

He set Mana on the ground and turned to face Kuriboh.

Bakura remembered the first time he had seen it; he had only been seven at the time. He would never have imagined that the tiny, furry creature was going to be the last thing he ever saw.

Atem and Mana clustered in the corner behind him. "Help us, Bakura!" Mana pleaded.

All there was left to do was back away from the approaching Kuriboh. Bakura threw his arms wide, trying to shield Atem and Mana for as long as possible. He felt his hands brush against the tablets on either side of him.

And then, yet another impossible thing happened. The stone tablet behind Bakura began to glow.

At first, Bakura closed his eyes and waited for the end. With two Shadow Creatures attacking them, any hope they may have had against the tiny Kuriboh was meaningless.

And then he heard a cry of alarm from the Kuriboh, and he opened his eyes again.

The creature from the tablet behind them had formed. But it wasn't attacking them – it was the only thing standing between Bakura and Kuriboh.

Bakura watched it in wonder.

It was barely as tall as Mana; another weak creature. It had the body of a winged man. However, its torso didn't lead to legs; it narrowed into a fierce serpent.

The new creature lunged itself at Kuriboh. The furry creature let out another cry and retaliated, swiping its tiny claws at its attacker.

Despite their defender's small size, Kuriboh was smaller still. Every strike that the Kuriboh made at them, it was able to withstand. The Kuriboh was getting angrier.

Finally, it simply hurtled itself full on at the creature. Remembering what Akunadin had told himself and Mahad three years ago, Bakura realised what was going to happen just in time to squish his eyes shut, turn and shield Atem and Mana from the explosion as the Kuriboh self-destructed.

Atem and Mana had both buried their faces in Bakura's chest. Neither dared to move.

Tentatively, Bakura opened his eyes and turned his head.

The snake-man creature was still there. It was looking at Bakura.

Not knowing what to say to the Shadow Creature that had just saved their lives, Bakura nodded slowly to it.

And at that moment, Bakura could have sworn that it nodded back, before glowing brightly and returning to the stone from which it had come.

For a while, he didn't say anything. Mana's whimpering brought him back to reality.

"Is it over?"

Bakura looked down to see both of them staring at him. "I...yeah, I think so."

"That Kuriboh tried to kill us!" Mana whined.

"That creature saved us," Atem breathed.

Bakura looked at the tablet that he had accidentally touched while protecting the five-year-olds. The creature had appeared from it only after that had happened.

What was that thing? Why had it protected them? Why had Kuriboh attacked them in the first place?

"I...I think we should go." Bakura shakily got to his feet. The three of them had been huddled in the corner, with Atem and Mana behind him.

"I think you shouldn't have come here in the first place."

Bakura didn't need to look for the owner of the voice to know who was speaking. "Oh...Master Akunadin." He froze. "...I can explain everything."

* * *

><p>You have no idea – No. Idea. – NO IDEA! – NONE WHATSOEVER! – how much I wanted to call this chapter 'Attack of the Killer Kuriboh'. No seriously; I think a part of me died inside when I realised that I should probably name it something different. God, I wanted that name.<p>

Anyway, please review :D

~IA


	6. The Trip Home

Akunadin was standing in the entrance to the shrine. Bakura stared at him, wondering if he was somehow another hostile Shadow Creature. Judging by the look on Akunadin's face, Bakura wasn't that lucky.

Bakura always hated it when Akunadin got angry; he felt as though the Millennium Eye that Akunadin wore was boring into the very essence of his being.

It wasn't too far from that; Bakura knew that the Eye gave its wearer the power to see into someone's mind. He just hoped that Akunadin would be able to see that Bakura's intentions had been good.

He couldn't believe he was thinking that – whatever his intentions had been, he had almost gotten Atem and Mana killed. Whatever Akunadin had in store for him, Bakura deserved it.

"You two come over here," Akunadin instructed brusquely. Atem and Mana were still clinging to Bakura, and they peered out from either side of him.

"Uh...um...we..." Atem stuttered.

"_Now_."

Casting one last look at Bakura, the two youngsters ran over to Akunadin. "Please don't be mad at Bakura, Master Akunadin," Atem exclaimed. "It was our fault. We-"

"I know exactly what happened," he said harshly. "You will both be spoken to later. Mahad, take care of them while I deal with Bakura."

Bakura literally flinched at the sound of his friend's name. Mahad was there too. In response to the Guardian's command, Mahad suddenly appeared from behind him. Bakura forced himself to look him in the eye.

There was an undisguised scowl marring his face while he looked at Bakura, but it only lasted a second. He quickly broke eye contact and took Atem and Mana by their hands, speaking to them in a quiet, reassuring tone. He led them out of the shrine.

Bakura didn't speak for a moment. "I...I'm sorry."

"Bakura, even if it was their wish that you brought them here, you shouldn't have cracked. You let a pair of five-year-olds persuade you against your better judgement."

Bakura gulped. "But you told me and Mahad that the Shadow Creatures couldn't be summoned without using the DiaDhank that was respective to the monster's shrine! How was I to know that a monster could have just appeared?"

"You still have much to learn, Bakura, and until I tell you otherwise, I suggest you avoid making decisions that could potentially get yourself – or anyone else – killed."

Bakura hung his head low. "I understand, Master Akunadin. I won't let it happen again..." he said, trying to sound as meek as possible.

"You most certainly won't. From now on, you will be confined to the inside of the palace."

Bakura's head snapped up. "What?"

"You will only be allowed to go to meals and training, and all your training will take place indoors. If there is anything that requires being outdoors, you will remain behind."

"But that would –"

"Maybe you should have worried about being put behind in training before you pulled this little stunt. Also, from when you get back to the palace, nobody will be allowed to speak a word to you directly; not your fellow pupils, or your friends, or anyone. These regulations will continue until I decide that you've learned your lesson."

Bakura was speechless. Being cooped up inside all day would be enough to send him insane; he wouldn't be able to practice under his tree, or play with Mahad...

Although, remembering the look Mahad had been wearing, they weren't going to be on good terms when next they met.

"I...yes, Master Akunadin," Bakura mumbled.

Akunadin gripped his arm. "Come on then; let's get you back to the palace."

Bakura was prepared to simply follow him, but one last question escaped his mouth. "Wait! M- Master Akunadin...? What was that creature that saved us?"

Akunadin followed his gaze to the small tablet in the corner where Bakura, Atem and Mana had been huddled.

"Diabound."

Bakura blinked. "What?" He hadn't actually expected an answer.

"The monster is called Diabound. It's weak – it was removed from its host before it had time to grow."

"Oh, I see."

Bakura looked over his shoulder one last time before Akunadin led him away. _Thank you, Diabound._

* * *

><p>The journey back to the palace was slow, and because Bakura had to spend it alone with Mahad, it became even worse.<p>

Akunadin and Mahad had come by horse, and Akunadin rode on ahead with Atem and Mana while Mahad and Bakura followed on foot.

For the first ten minutes, neither of them said a word. Finally, Bakura broke the silence.

"Are you mad at me?"

There was a pause before Mahad answered. "Yes."

They fell back into silence.

"What on earth possessed you?" Mahad demanded suddenly. "You could have all been killed!"

"I didn't think that Kuriboh was going to appear! And I didn't think it was going to attack-"

"Yeah, well Bakura? Obviously you thought wrong. What if that Kuriboh had killed Atem or Mana? What would you have done then?"

Bakura set his jaw. "The only way that would have happened was if I was already dead."

Mahad hesitated. "Well, what if _you_ had died? What would _I_ have done then?"

Bakura looked at him.

"You're my best friend, Bakura. I don't want you to die..." He shook his head vigorously, suddenly embarrassed. "But honestly, if you're going to almost kill yourself every time I turn my back..." He trailed off. "I mean, show some initiative! They don't forbid us from going to places for no reason!"

Bakura looked at the sand, unable to meet Mahad's eye. He knew that he was only angry because he had been worried about Mana and Atem; he was very protective of them. He felt horrible that he had made his friend worry about them – not to mention about him.

Before Bakura could reply, Mahad spoke again. "How did you even survive? Master Akunadin saw the light from the shrine; that's why we came. But if the Kuriboh attacked you..."

"This creature appeared and saved us. Something called 'Diabound'," Bakura said.

Mahad grimaced. "So there was another one."

Bakura nodded.

Mahad sighed. "I guess there's more to learn about Shadow Creatures than we'd thought."

Bakura nodded again, still wordless.

"What was your punishment, anyway?"

"Coventry and confinement to the palace."

Mahad sighed. "Right."

Bakura bit his lip. "Are you still mad at me?"

"Well, since I'm not supposed to be speaking to you, I guess I have to be." He hesitated. "I just...there was something I wanted to talk to you about. But then all of this happened, and..."

Bakura looked up, surprised. "What is it?"

Mahad looked up at the sky. "Well...Master Akunadin says...I'm becoming...too powerful."

Bakura stared at him. "What? Why?"

He shrugged. "I don't really understand it all. He says that if I don't seal away my power, I won't be able to control it."

Bakura gasped. "That's ridiculous! So he wants you to, what, just lock it all away somehow?"

Mahad nodded. "He's going to take me to the Spellcaster's Training Sanctuary next week in order to do it."

"Do you even get a say?" Bakura demanded, suddenly furious with Akunadin for making Mahad do something like that.

Mahad looked uncomfortable. "I've told him I'll do it. I trust his judgement, I just...I don't know, I just don't like the idea. I'm sure I'll be grateful for it later, but for now...it's kind of scary."

Bakura scowled. "I wouldn't do it; it doesn't seem right. I wouldn't trust Akunadin."

"Is that because you just got in trouble with him?"

Bakura paused. "Um...probably."

Mahad looked away for a moment. "Hey, Bakura...? Do you ever get the feeling that Akunadin doesn't trust you?"

Bakura frowned. "You mean before now? Well...I hadn't noticed anything. Why?"

"I don't know; it's probably silly. It's like he thinks that you're going to betray the Pharaoh one day. When he saw the light coming from the shrine, the first thing he said was your name. It was like he suspected you even before he knew what had happened. I just thought I'd mention that after you said you didn't trust _him_."

Bakura scowled. "I wasn't born here, but I'd never betray King Aknamkanon," he vowed. "Although, if he does think that, today probably wasn't good in my favour."

"Don't worry; he has the Millennium Eye. He'll know that you weren't deliberately trying to hurt Atem."

They passed the next few minutes in silence. "I'm sorry," Bakura said suddenly. "It probably didn't help when I said I wouldn't trust Akunadin. This whole 'power sealing' thing...I'm sure Akunadin knows what he's doing."

"Yeah...he always does."

"Hey, Mahad?"

Mahad cast him a sideways glance. "Yeah?"

"Thanks." Bakura didn't really understand what he was thanking him for, but at that moment, he was extremely grateful that Mahad was there.

"You're welcome. Thank you."

"You're welcome."


	7. The Millennium Ring

I had a friend ask me after the previous chapter if there was going to be any later Ringshipping (MahadxBakura) I'm sorry to disappoint the yaoi fans if they were expecting this; there will be no Ringshipping in this story :( or any other pairings for that matter. Not cuz I don't like it; just because it didn't fit this story :( I read yaoi as much as you do, so if you want me to do a separate story for it, you can ask :) but yeah...not here.

I just realised that this story's initials are 'COKE'! HUZZAH!

* * *

><p>Bakura's life in the palace proved no less tedious that Akunadin had promised. He still had to attend his lessons and study, but he was not rewarded with the usual off time in which he could relax and play.<p>

And the lessons themself were harder; if he didn't understand something, he couldn't ask, or he would face the humiliation of being ignored. Whenever this happened, he would receive a sympathetic glance from Mahad before being forced to figure it out himself.

It got even worse a week later, when Akunadin took Mahad to the Spellcaster's Training Sanctuary to have his magic contained. His punishment forbid Bakura from even talking to his friend, and he was being constantly watched; there was never an opportunity to even speak to him. Bakura felt horrible that Mahad would have to go through it alone.

Bakura would have been happier had he been locked up in punishment; having to go about his daily life and being treated as though he didn't exist was infuriating, not to mention incredibly lonely.

There was one thing for which he was grateful, however; as of yet, King Aknamkanon had not asked to see him.

Seeing the Pharaoh was not something Bakura did very often. However, since it was primarily he and Mahad who looked after his only son, and they were both students under his brother, they encountered him far more often than any other children.

Bakura held the Pharaoh in a great deal of respect. Not simply because he was the ruler of Egypt, either; because he was a _good_ leader. Their country was prospering.

But Bakura had another reason, too; the Pharaoh had saved his life, when he had first arrived at the palace. After all, it would have been all too easy to simply leave an orphaned child – the son of thieves, no less – to fend for himself. But instead, he had allowed Bakura to stay and grow up in the palace as though he belonged there. Bakura was never going to forget that.

Unfortunately, the Pharaoh was never going to forget that his son had almost been killed because of Bakura, either. Bakura was a fool if he thought even for a second that Akunadin was going to do anything less than go straight to his brother upon bringing Atem and Mana back to the palace. He had little doubt that this was exactly what had transpired.

But Aknamkanon hadn't asked to have Bakura sent away. He hadn't even asked to speak with him.

As the weeks dragged on, Bakura was becoming more of the mind that the Pharaoh had simply agreed with Akunadin's punishment and seen little more to do, and less of that which thought that he was just too busy as Pharaoh.

Whatever the reason, however, Bakura was still surprised when, for the first time in a month, somebody spoke to him, to tell him that the Pharaoh wanted to see him.

Bakura filled with dread. How could he face the father of the boy he almost got killed? After everything he had done for him? Bakura gulped, suddenly recalling the foggy memory of his first day in the palace, half his lifetime ago.

Bakura opened his mouth a few times before giving up on speech. He had hardly spoken at all since his conversation with Mahad on their way back to the palace, a month ago.

Bakura nodded and followed the messenger. Bakura knew the palace backwards, but he somehow felt as though he would have gotten lost if it hadn't been for his guide.

The man stopped outside the audience chamber and looked at Bakura expectantly. His feet and legs liquefied, he entered the room.

The Pharaoh was there, surrounded by his six Sacred Guardians. Bakura didn't dare meet anyone's eye, least of all Akunadin's. Bakura's feet dragged as he went to stand in front of them.

Suddenly he noticed Mahad lingering on one side of the room, slightly behind the Guardians. He had been sitting cross-legged when Bakura entered, but he soon clambered to his feet and went to stand beside him. Aknamkanon and the Sacred Guardians looked at him scornfully, but said nothing.

"Bakura, you are hereby released from your penalty for the duration of this meeting," Akunadin said.

Bakura couldn't bring himself to feel relief. Aknamkanon still hadn't spoken.

That was about to change. "Akunadin has told me all about your little escapade with my son and his friend Mana."

Bakura looked at the ground, unsure of how to respond.

"He has also told me that while you acted with the best of intentions, all three of you were nearly killed by a Shadow Creature which Atem inexplicably managed to summon."

Bakura took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, your majesty; we were."

Aknamkanon stood up from his throne and went to stand in front of Bakura. This close, he towered over him.

"But then he told me something very unusual. He told me that you, Bakura, were also able to summon a Shadow Creature, and this Shadow Creature protected you from harm."

Bakura hesitated. "It...wasn't quite like that. I just touched the stone and it appeared. I didn't summon it. And it was the same with Atem, too."

Aknamkanon was looking at Bakura with a puzzled expression, as though he were trying to draw a conclusion to something when he didn't even know what the question was. And then suddenly he returned to his throne. The expression had passed so briefly that Bakura could easily have imagined it.

"Whatever the case, the three of you escaped with your lives intact. I've been told that you've served a month of punishment." He looked thoughtful. "If this were a more minor case, I would release you from your punishment. However, I cannot; it was my own son whose life you endangered, Bakura. I'm very disappointed in you."

Bakura scuffed his feet. "I'm sorry, your majesty. You've done so much for me."

Aknamkanon leaned forward. "I cannot afford to show you any leniency in a case such as this, Bakura. I have to banish you from the palace."

At this, both Bakura and Mahad's heads snapped up to look at the Pharaoh. Bakura's heart fell right down to his knees. _Leave_? Where could he possibly go?

"Your majesty, I must interject." Bakura was surprised to hear Mahad speak. He was surprised at how diplomatic he sounded. "Bakura acted with the intention of protecting Atem from becoming his own worst enemy, and all scriptures regarding Shadow Creatures state that it is impossible to summon Shadow Creatures by simply touching their stone prison. There was no way he could have known that a Shadow Creature would appear."

Bakura suddenly realised why Mahad was there; he must have come to plead Bakura's case.

Mahad had even more courage than Bakura had first thought; a ten-year-old boy talking to the ruler of Egypt.

Despite this difference, he held his ground and continued speaking. "You and your Sacred Court are even more puzzled by this than we are, as children; it's never happened before, and you don't have anything to refer this occurrence to."

Aknamkanon looked at the boy. "Mahad, I respect your loyalty to your friend, but it is not your place to make such bold claims."

Mahad pressed on. "But for all we know, Bakura could have some kind of special magic inside of him; the same as Atem. We just don't know; you can't act so rashly as to-"

Aknamkanon suddenly stood up. "Don't you dare tell me if I'm acting rashly, Mahad; my own son was almost killed. His best friend sustained an injury to her head. I am acting completely within the bindings of reason."

Mahad opened his mouth to protest, but Bakura grabbed his sleeve. "Don't, Mahad. He's right." Trying to keep his voice level, he looked up at the Pharaoh. "I'll go."

Mahad looked upset at Bakura's statement, but he had started to calm down. He didn't protest further in the presence of Aknamkanon.

Aknamkanon began to speak again, only to be overspoken by one of his Sacred Guardians.

"My Pharaoh, I should bring it to your attention that the Millennium Ring is acting strangely."

All eyes in the room turned to the man.

Bakura didn't know his name, but he had seen him before on many occasions. He was the Guardian of the Millennium Ring.

The Ring hung on a leather cord around the man's neck. Like all but one of the other items, it bore the symbol of an eye, on a triangular plate in its centre. The spikes that hung attached to it, however, were not hanging down as they usually were; each of them was glowing gold and pointing to where the two boys stood in front of the Pharaoh.

Bakura stared at it, transfixed. He had never paid it much attention until now. There was something about it that drew him to it. It was as though it radiated a magical aura that told him to come, to take it.

Bakura had never felt an urge to steal, in spite of his background. But when he properly laid eyes on the Millennium Ring for the first time in his life, he wanted nothing more than to simply grab it and run, and keep running for the rest of his life, needing nothing more than the gold object that glowed in the hands of its possessor. It was a wild hunger that only possessing the Millennium Ring could satisfy.

The man who held the Millennium Ring was walking towards them. Bakura had barely noticed. His eyes were locked onto the Ring itself as though to look away was death.

The Ring was closer now; only feet away. Its gold pointers were still glowing and pointing towards himself and Mahad. He hardly dared to breathe as the Guardian moved the Ring in between the two boys.

Something very unusual happened when he did so. The five pointers, which had until now been pointing towards both Bakura and Mahad, fanned out so that the ones on each child's side was pointing at him. The pointer in the middle was quivering slightly from side to side, as though it couldn't decide on to whom it would point.

Almost unconsciously, Bakura's hand crept up. He started to reach for the Ring. Across from him, Bakura could see Mahad do the same.

And just like that, the pointers stopped glowing and fell slack. The Guardian pulled the Ring away from Bakura and Mahad's grasp.

Bakura jumped slightly, the moment having passed. Instinctively, he looked at Mahad, and they locked eyes. He knew that they had both experienced the same feeling.

He suddenly became aware of the fact that the room had fallen silent. Every eye in the room was trained on Bakura and Mahad.

The Pharaoh rose to his feet. "Both of you; out. We must discuss this."

Before either of them could protest, the two boys were ushered out. Not that either would have dared make a peep after what had just happened.

Left outside the audience chamber, Bakura and Mahad could do nothing but stare at each other.

"Did you feel that?" Bakura asked finally.

Mahad nodded. "I...I think so. The Ring..."

Bakura frowned. "It was like..." He hesitated. "I have no idea what it was like. It was like I would have killed every person in that room just to hold it." He looked away. "It was...a horrible feeling. I didn't want to feel that way, but I did."

"I felt it to...don't worry, Bakura; I know you wouldn't hurt anyone." He suddenly sighed. "But the Ring itself; it was pointing at both of us."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bakura wondered.

"I don't know...I guess we'll have to wait to hear what they have to say."

As if on cue, Akunadin appeared in the doorway.

"You are now relieved of your punishment. You may remain in the palace. Run along now; the both of you." He dissappeared again.

Bakura and Mahad exchanged a single glance, and scurried, both wanting to put as much distance between themselves and the Millennium Ring as possible.


	8. The Illusion Magician

After that day, both Bakura and Mahad stayed well away from the members of the Pharaoh's Sacred Court and their Millennium Items, in particular the Millennium Ring. Neither of them liked the feverish desire that seeing it had sparked within them.

Bakura was twelve now.

After his punishment had been relieved, life in the palace had returned to a state of relative normality. He and Mahad had continued studying magic.

And so had Mana and Atem; they had both started not long after the incident in Akunadin's tablet shrine. Both of them struggled, as any new students did. It had fallen on Mahad and Bakura – particularly Mahad – to begin serving as tutors as well as babysitters. Both of them were now seven.

The difference in Bakura and Mahad's skill level became more and more prominent as they got older. It wasn't that Bakura was a slow learner. It was simply because Mahad picked up magic with a natural ease, despite having had his power sealed away.

Bakura would never admit it to Mahad, but it was beginning to scare him a little. Not Mahad, but the things he could do.

Mahad had progressed to taking extra lessons, along with the class he shared with Bakura and the other children of their own age. It was on one of these lessons when Mahad first summoned the Illusion Magician.

Mahad had asked him to tag along to watch, figuring that it would probably help him.

Bakura was sitting with his back against the mud brick wall, trying to look interested so Mahad wouldn't feel guilty at having dragged him along.

Mahad was been engaged in some kind of exercise that involved channelling his magical energy into one place, and releasing it in order to create an explosion.

But something had happened, and it hadn't gone as planned; after a minute of immense concentration on Mahad's part, and a swing of his staff, the Shadow Creature appeared before Mahad.

Bakura jumped to his feet instantly, remembering his last experience with Shadow Creatures. Mahad stumbled back several paces, and Akunadin raised his DiaDhank, as if preparing for a Shadow Game.

But then, just like that, the Illusion Magician vanished.

The three of them could do nothing but stare at the space where it had been only a second before.

"Did…did I do that?" Mahad breathed, suddenly doubling over, exhausted.

Akunadin's one eye shifted to Mahad. "Yes. I believe you did."

"But how? I didn't think summoning Shadow Creatures was that easy…"

"Tell that to Bakura."

Bakura, who had run to join them when the Magician appeared, looked away.

"It would seem, Mahad, that you have discovered your Spirit Monster."

"My…Spirit Monster?"

Akunadin nodded. "It is a spirit, found in the souls of people."

"You mean a Shadow Creature?" asked Bakura.

"In a sense, yes; it is a Shadow Creature. A Spirit Monster is a reflection of the nature of the person from whom they came. That is why evildoers and criminals have evil or dangerous Spirit Monsters, like the ones we capture and control. The term 'Shadow Creature' is usually used to describe this type of Spirit Monster. However, there are good Spirit Monsters too; these are born in the hearts of good people, such as Mahad. They are fuelled by the energy of their master's soul, which is why you feel lacking in strength now, Mahad."

Mahad had slumped to the floor and was sitting on his knees; bent forward and holding himself up with trembling hands. "If this is how I feel after summoning a creature once, for a couple of seconds, I can't imagine how you and the other Guardians must feel after a Shadow Game."

"This is only your first time, Mahad; soon, it will become easier."

Bakura bent down and helped Mahad back to his feet. Mahad had to place almost all of his weight on Bakura in order to stay upright.

"Akunadin, I don't understand," Mahad said. "I didn't even know it existed; how was I able to summon it?"

Bakura was paying Akunadin the utmost attention, for a similar reason to Mahad.

He didn't miss Akunadin cast him a strange glance. Something border lining on mistrust. Then he spoke, addressing Mahad. "Your Spirit Monster was born inside your heart; you have a deep connection to it, as everyone does to their own, whether is began as good or evil. That is how you were able to unintentionally summon it."

"In that case, how was Atem able to summon Kuriboh?" Bakura asked, not daring to ask his other, more pertinent question. "Are you saying that Kuriboh was Atem's Spirit Monster?"

Akunadin looked at him sharply. It was no secret that he knew what Bakura was really asking. "No; of course not. We have no explanation as to why that was able to happen. It is possible for a person to share a strong connection with a Shadow Creature that was not originally their own. Somehow, Atem had formed such a connection with Kuriboh."

"It still tried to kill us," Bakura couldn't help saying.

"Because Kuriboh was created in an evil heart, which Atem's most certainly is not!" Akunadin hissed. "If you ever imply such a thing again…"

"I'm sorry!" Bakura mumbled. He hadn't meant to imply that Atem had an evil heart. He didn't even think he had, at least not in pointing out that Kuriboh had attacked them. It was as though Akunadin had jumped on the opportunity to change the direction of conversation.

This puzzled Bakura. Akunadin's Millennium Eye would have told him that Bakura had been thinking about Diabound. Why would he not want to talk about that?

He stared at Akunadin, who stared back. Was there something he wasn't being told?

Akunadin turned to Mahad, who hadn't noticed this subtle exchange. "You had best rest, Mahad; you can go. Bakura, keep an eye on him. He'll be very tired for a while."

Bakura bowed slightly and, still supporting his friend, led him from the room.

He cast one final look over his shoulder. Akunadin was still watching him.

* * *

><p>Akunadin watched them go.<p>

Atem and Kuriboh was still a mystery, but he knew the truth of how Bakura had summoned Diabound. He had known ever since it happened; it wasn't difficult to guess. Bakura was still connected to his Spirit Monster, even though it was separate from him.

There was still the matter of why Bakura and Atem hadn't been exhausted after summoning Kuriboh and Diabound, as Mahad had been after summoning Illusion Magician. He figured that it must have been because the act of summoning the creatures required relatively little energy, as opposed to controlling them. And the monsters they summoned had obviously not been under control; Kuriboh had attacked, and it was only natural for Diabound to protect its master willingly.

It unsettled Akunadin that there would be a monster in his own shrine that considered someone else its master. He had never summoned Diabound since he had transferred it from the rock in the desert into its stone tablet, but the fact that Bakura had been able to…

Ever since that incident, he had known that rescuing Bakura had been a mistake; the boy still remembered Kul Elna, at least a little. After his incident with his own Spirit Monster, it was only natural that he would begin to ask questions. It was only a matter of time before he discovered the truth.

If the Millennium Ring hadn't reacted to him, Bakura would have been cast out from the palace. The Pharaoh and the rest of the Sacred Court, unaware of the secret behind Bakura that even the boy himself hadn't known, had agreed that the Ring must have been trying to tell them something about Bakura. They had taken it as a sign that he should stay.

The most Akunadin could do now was ascertain that his brother didn't trust Bakura. If the boy somehow discovered the truth behind the massacre of his village, and told the Pharaoh, he had to make sure that Bakura wouldn't be believed.

But that would be difficult if the Millennium Ring had taken a liking to him. At the very least, it had also been pointing to Mahad.

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><p>A few halls away, Mahad slumped to the floor against a wall. Bakura sat down next to him.<p>

"That was really scary," Mahad breathed.

Bakura patted his back. "Just hang in there; you'll be fine."

"I didn't know that, about the good Shadow Creatures," Mahad said, a frown on his face. "I always just assumed that the only Shadow Creatures the Sacred Guardians could control were the evil ones they had captured. I didn't know they could use their own."

Bakura shook his head. "Neither do I. It does seem strange that he hadn't told us; it's not like it's something that only adults can understand."

Mahad nodded, closing his eyes. "Wow…I've never been this tired in my life."

Bakura helped him up again. "Come on; if there's one take home message from this, it's that you need some sleep."


	9. Atem and Mana

The fact that they were human meant that it had always been _possible _for them to quarrel. But the fact that they were Atem and Mana meant that this was a possibility that had never occurred to anyone, not even Mahad and Bakura. Friends quarrelled, lovers quarrelled, siblings quarrelled, but quarrelling was a totally new experience between the prince and his friend.

They were of course at the age where their differences – both in gender and in social status – were going to start becoming obvious. Thirteen was 'the age'.

It wasn't that their interests changed – simply their priorities. As prince of Egypt, Atem had started to learn about what was expected of him, which wasn't to spend all day with Mana, evading his lessons. And as much as he disagreed with it, like any boy, he wanted to appease his father.

Mana hadn't really seen it that way.

Mahad hadn't meant to be spying on them. He had, of course, originally set out in search of him – even at eighteen, he was still the boy's unofficial babysitter – he could never agree with eavesdropping on a private discussion between friends.

But when he had heard their – raised – voices coming from around a corner, he couldn't find a way to introduce his presence.

He stood out of site, listening to their infuriated yells, cringing at each one.

"You wouldn't understand, Mana!" Atem was shouting. "I'm trying as hard as I can to have it both ways, but it can't always be the same! Things change; we have to learn to cope!"

"Oh, come on! You've never had a problem with skipping a few classes before! I wouldn't have been upset if you'd just admitted you'd rather be there than with me!"

"But that's not true! Of course I'd rather be with you – but this isn't about you, or even me! This is about the whole of Egypt, Mana; my father is trying to teach me to be a good ruler, like him, and I can't do that if I'm always sneaking off with you!"

"Well maybe you should just forget about me entirely if you're so keen on being king!"

"Well maybe I will!"

"_Fine!_" Mana screeched.

"_Fine!_"

Both of them turned and ran in opposite directions.

His eyes as wide as pomegranates, Mahad stepped out into the open, where they had both been facing off a second beforehand. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed.

Acting on his first instinct, he took off after Atem, hoping that there was some way of helping the two friends make up.

When he reached another corner, he stopped, wondering which way the young prince had gone.

He settled on a direction at random and took off down it. Nothing. Mahad couldn't believe how easily Atem had slipped away.

When at least a quarter of an hour had proved fruitless in his search, Mahad stopped. He knew Atem; all of his favourite spots were places he went with Mana, and Mahad couldn't imagine him going there now. That and that they usually changed weekly to avoid being found by people who might be looking for him.

Frustrated, Mahad went to find reinforcements. He found Bakura outside near the tree where they still occasionally went to practice.

"Hey, Bakura!" he called, coming to a stop beside him. "You didn't see Atem or Mana go by here?"

Bakura frowned. "No, why? Did something happen to them?" He was instantly on alert.

Mahad shook his head. "You're not going to believe this – they had an argument."

Bakura stared. "I don't believe it."

"You'd better believe it; it was practically a screaming match by the end, and they both ran off. I couldn't find either of them."

Bakura looked amazed. "Wow, I never thought they had it in them."

Mahad crossed his arms, but otherwise ignored this statement. "Thinking about it now, I don't know if finding them is such a good idea. I mean, it's horrible that they argued, but they're still friends; they'll have to learn to sort out their differences on their own if they want to maintain that friendship."

Bakura lifted an eyebrow. "Right...so I guess we'd better just do nothing, then."

Mahad looked at him. He knew the tone in Bakura's voice. He sighed. "When you put it like that, I feel really guilty."

Bakura grinned. "That's the idea. Come on; let's go find them."

* * *

><p>They eventually split up, and Mahad was back to where he started from. Nobody he asked seemed to have any idea where he had gone, although a few mentioned having heard the argument.<p>

Mahad almost considered checking the Pharaoh's audience chamber, but decided against it. It was unlikely that Atem would have gone to his father, and Mahad didn't want to worry King Aknamkanon about his son until he was certain that Atem was nowhere to be found.

He was preparing to do another search of the palace from top to bottom when he heard a whimper coming from a vase he was passing.

Mahad stopped. Hiding in vases in order to scare passersby had been a favourite pastime of Atem and Mana's when they were little. It was a concept that hadn't even occurred to him as a hiding place.

Hesitantly, Mahad peered inside the vase, to be confronted with a familiar spiky head. He almost heaved a sigh of relief; Atem was found, and if Mana was somewhere in another vase, she would soon be too.

"Atem?" Mahad asked gently. "What's wrong?"

Atem looked up from where he was curled up to fit in the bottom of the vase. His eyes widened. "Oh...Mahad! I'm sorry; were you looking for me?"

"Yeah; but don't worry, you're not in trouble. Why don't you come out so we can talk properly?"

Atem nodded and heaved himself out of his hiding place. Mahad noticed that his nose was red and his eyes puffy. He had obviously been crying.

Atem rested his back against the wall, staring at his feet. "I...I had a fight with Mana, and I ran away to hide from her in case we ran into each other."

Part of Mahad wanted to ask why he had seen it necessary to hide from everyone else in the palace as well as Mana; after all, there were plenty of places where Mana wouldn't go but Atem would. But he didn't even consider asking this out loud; it was obvious why he had chosen to hide; he had been crying, and hadn't wanted the rest of the palace to see.

Mahad could see that Atem was still on the verge of crying. Almost instinctively, he embraced the boy.

Atem clung to Mahad, sobbing. Mahad gently patted his back, trying to calm him down. It was different for most children; they had small disagreements with their friends on a daily basis. Atem had never exchanged a harsh word with Mana in his life, and to start with a screaming duel like the one Mahad had witnessed...he wouldn't know how to cope.

Eventually, Atem let go of Mahad, wiping his eyes. "I'm sorry, Mahad...I just don't know what to do. I can't even remember when I _met_ Mana; it was that long ago. It's going to be hard not being friends with her anymore."

Mahad bent down so that they were eye to eye. "Don't worry, Atem; Mana is your best friend. One quarrel won't change that."

Atem looked at Mahad, sniffling. "It won't?"

"Of course not; everyone bickers. It's part of growing up. It's healthy to argue once in a while; it means you're human. I argue with Bakura all the time."

Atem blinked, amazed. "Really?"

Mahad laughed. "Yep; this morning, even. There was one date left, and we were arguing over it so long that someone else got it. We death glared each other and didn't say anything afterwards. The last time we spoke was twenty minutes ago, and we'd both forgotten all about it."

Atem stared at him. "You mean the next time I see Mana she'll have forgiven me?"

"Right now, she's just as upset as you are," Mahad explained. "Give her a bit of time to think about it, and she'll get a clearer head. All arguments happen in the heat of the moment, but after thinking it over, it starts to seem really silly that you were even arguing at all. Mana's going to be sad that she had a fight with you, just like you are. Both of you still want to be friends, it just comes down to whether or not you're brave enough to try to make it up to her."

Atem looked away. "But I don't know how to; she was upset because I have to spend less time with her now that father is teaching me how to be Pharaoh. I can't just stop having lessons."

Mahad thought about this. "Mana will come to understand that you two can't be together as much as you used to be, but just remember that that doesn't mean you're any less friends than you were before. And if you like, I can talk to your father about giving you a little extra time off."

Atem's eyes widened. "You'd really do that?"

Mahad ruffled his spiky hair. "Of course I would; I'm your friend."

Atem looked down at his feet again, unsure what to say. "Thank you, Mahad...next time I see Mana, I'll tell her that I'm sorry."

Mahad smiled at him. "That's the spirit."

Unexpectedly, Atem threw his arms around Mahad. "Thank you so much."

* * *

><p>They met up with Mana much sooner than either of them had expected, when they ran into her after rounding a corner. She was with Bakura, and looking much happier than she had been when last Mahad had seen her. Upon seeing Atem, however, she froze up.<p>

She looked up at Bakura for reassurance, and he nodded.

"I'm sorry I was angry with you, Atem," Mana said, looking away. "I should be trying to help you become a good Pharaoh, not drag you down."

Atem looked at Mahad, who also nodded. "I'm sorry too, Mana...I promise I'll try to spend more time with you."

Mana instantly started crying, and sprang forward, wrapping her arms around Atem like a vice. "_Please_ don't forget about me in order to become Pharaoh!" she wailed.

Atem was surprised by her sudden embrace, but returned it with warmth. "I'd never do that, Mana; you're my friend. I should never have said that to you."

Mana instantly cheered with glee, and released her grip on Atem. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Atem's hand and practically dragged him back the way she and Bakura had come.

After rounding the corner and vanishing from sight, however, she suddenly returned on her own and flung her arms around Bakura. "Thank you!"

She quickly ran back to where she had left Atem, and Mahad noticed the boy peering around the corner, looking at him. He had never seen a look of such gratitude in his life.

* * *

><p>Yeah...I know Mahad could probably have used magic to find Atem, but, yeah...stuff X3<p>

Man, I LOVED this chapter! I've been waiting to write it for ages~!~!~!~! I love Atem and Mana :D They're such a cute pair of friends C;

~IA


	10. An Unexpected Death

Okay…I am SO sorry for taking this long to update…and to provide you with such a short, short, SUCKY chapter after all that waiting D: Really…I know exactly how it feels waiting for slow updaters. Please don't hate me *cries* And, I actually measured, this is officially the shortest chapter of a multi-chapter story I have ever published. It's less than one thousand words :/ I PROMISE to update soon *sob* Seriously, if I don't, you have my licensed permission to spam me.

Also~ I don't think they ever tell you the name of the guy who had the Millennium Ring before Mahad in the canon, so I just made one up XD lol~!

* * *

><p>The death of Fadil came as a shock to everybody in the palace. The news spread through it like wildfire; within in hour of the occurrence, there was nobody left untold.<p>

It had been at year since Atem and Mana had had their quarrel. Mahad and Bakura were both nineteen years old.

The two of them were in the Spellcaster's Training Sanctuary when the news reached them via a messenger. A cold feeling of dread rushing through his veins, Bakura looked at Mahad, their thoughts the same. Fadil, The Sacred Guardian of the Millennium Ring, was dead.

The two of them both bolted for their horses. "What do you suppose is going to happen now?" Bakura wondered aloud.

Mahad's brow was set and his expression was intense. "The Ring will need a new Guardian."

Bakura scowled. "Yeah, I figured that part out for myself. I meant, how do you suppose they do that."

Mahad shrugged, pulling himself up onto the back of his horse. Bakura did the same. "I know as much as you do," Mahad said. "Each Millennium Item chooses its own Guardian of its own accord." He looked thoughtful.

"It would be interesting how it does that, though," Bakura said, frowning. "After all, the Items can't exactly give a name."

Fourteen years was more than enough time for Bakura to know what his friend was thinking; that day, nine years ago, when the Millennium Ring had pointed to them.

It had taken both of them – quite literally – several years to get over the nerves that struck them whenever they ventured near the Sacred Guardians – Fadil in particular, as he was the Ring's owner. Even Mahad, usually even more bold and fearless than Bakura, had been reluctant to enter the same room as the Millennium Ring until he was at least thirteen.

Nobody had ever figured out why that incident had occurred; it had puzzled the Sacred Court for the few years following it, until the memory of it eventually dwindled and faded, pushed aside and forgotten unless an unlikely event occurred to bring it up.

As the two of them rode on in silence, Bakura's thoughts remained on the Millennium Ring.

The truth was, even after experiencing the nerves that hit him at the mere thought of entering the same room as the Item, Bakura hadn't forgotten about the feeling that had literally attacked him when he first saw it.

He shivered at the memory. That feeling of burning, hungry desire that compared to nothing he had ever felt in all of his life. The feeling that...if the Ring wasn't his, he would go mad. He would die. He would kill.

And now Fadil was gone, the Ring would need a new Guardian.

Bakura didn't know the system for choosing who this person would be, but logic reasoned that it wouldn't depend simply on the Ring. The other Sacred Guardians would select the most likely candidates; those who were most knowledgeable in the control of magic. There would be tests, and whoever they deemed fit would be given the Ring for signs of some kind of approval.

Bakura looked sideways at his friend. Even a slave could tell that the most obvious choice was Mahad. There was, quite literally, nobody in the palace more skilled in magic than he; he even already knew how to use a DiaDhank. And...the Ring had taken an interest to him; that much had been clear on that day when they were ten years old, when the Ring had glowed and pointed to him.

_But it was pointing to me too,_ Bakura thought. _What does it mean? _He sighed. _I've been asking myself that for nine years and I still don't know._

_What if it was me? What if I was the one chosen?_

He pushed the thought away as soon as it trespassed on his mind. It was just too...

_Too what? _Bakura wondered. Too unreasonable? What was unreasonable? He wasn't Mahad, but he was still among the best in the palace. And he was well-liked by the Pharaoh and by Atem...

_But Akunadin doesn't trust me, _he thought. _And I'm the son of thieves. I have no place in the palace at all. _

He pushed his horse a little faster. _But still...there's nothing wrong with wanting to be a Sacred Guardian, right? It's a huge honour. And that Ring..._

He gulped. The Ring held more sway over him than he cared to admit; in nine years, there had not been a day when it hadn't crossed his mind in some form or another. Even when it terrified him, all he could imagine was being its possessor.

But what would he do when he did actually have it? Would the feverish obsession with it that had developed in his mind eventually fade? Or would it drive him crazy, like some kind of drug.

He shook his head. He didn't like the way he was thinking; he was acting as though it was already going to be his.

_Maybe it would be better if I started thinking ahead of time that it won't, _Bakura thought. _If I even consider the possibility that it will...what would I do if it didn't?_

What would he do if the Millennium Ring was given to Mahad?

Bakura looked at him again. This new thought had only just occurred to him. If the Ring was given to Mahad – no, if the Ring was given to either of them – how would the other react? Could they still be friends?

Bakura almost kicked himself. What kind of idea was that? He and Mahad had been friends longer than Atem and Mana had. Mahad knew as well as he did that all the Millennium Rings in the world could never induce them to hate each other.

Right?

* * *

><p>I LOVE YOU GUYS. PLEASE DON'T HATE ME. I WILL UPDATE SOON IF IT KILLS ME. *cries in the emo corner*<p>

~IA


	11. An Overheard Conversation

"We came as soon as we heard!" Mahad panted, bursting into the Pharaoh's chamber a few seconds ahead of Bakura. "Fadil-"

Bakura ground to a halt beside his friend just as the Pharaoh cut him off. "The Ring is without a master," he murmured quietly. "Yes. You heard correctly."

The look in Mahad's eyes made it obvious that he instantly regretted his exclamation in such a manner. Aknamkanon's few words were enough to show how much he felt the loss of the Ring's former guardian.

Akunadin stepped forward from the group of the other five Guardians. "Mahad…Bakura…I'm glad you two came. Come with me." Leaving his brother and the others, he led the two of them back outside the room.

"Master Akunadin, please tell me how this happened!" Mahad exclaimed as soon as they were out of earshot. "What's going to happen now?"

Akunadin shook his head sadly, and Bakura felt a stab of concern for the man who had raised him. Perhaps Aknamkanon wasn't the only one who was feeling Fadil's loss with pain. "Fadil was a good man. He will be greatly missed." He suddenly looked up sharply at both Bakura and Mahad. "But we have to time to spend mourning him today; the longer the Millennium Ring is left without a Guardian, the greater the threat we face from lack of its protection." He turned to Bakura. "Bakura, I want you to gather together all of the older magic students back here as quickly as possible. When you find Atem, tell him to go to his father directly."

Bakura nodded. "Yes, Master Akunadin."

"Mahad, stay here; I'd like to talk with you a little longer in private."

Without hesitating, Bakura turned and made for the meal hall where he knew most of the students would be eating. But when he was around the corner, he drew to a steady halt.

"Forgive me, Mahad," he whispered, flattening himself against the wall and straining his ears.

"Mahad, I want to make something clear," Akunadin was saying. Bakura stiffened.

"You and I both know that you are the one the Ring is going to choose."

Bakura couldn't see Mahad's face, but he imagined a look of bemusement. "Master Akunadin, with all due respect, the will of the Millennium Items cannot be predicted by mortal men. It could be anybody; that's why you're gathering the rest of the students, surely."

There was a sigh. "It's true that the Ring will choose its own master, but gathering all other possible candidates in merely a formality; the Ring knows as well as I do that you are the one destined to be its possessor. You must remember that it has chosen you once before."

"When I was ten. I remember. But Master Akunadin, you must also recall that the Ring was pointing to Bakura as well; I don't see you making such predictions to him."

Another sigh. "Bakura is one of the smartest and most skilled people in the palace and he has been a great friend to you over the years, but even you must understand that he is not your equal, either in talent, social status or…lineage."

Mahad's voice hardened. "Are you suggesting that Bakura would make any less of a Guardian because of who his parents were?"

"All I'm saying is that-"

"Bakura is a good man, Master Akunadin. Ask King Aknamkanon or Atem if you doubt my word. I would trust him with my life a thousand times over before I would most of the people in this palace. He had proven himself time and time again; you who raised him of all people should know that."

There was a moment of silence before Akunadin spoke again. "The Ring will choose who it will choose. And I can assure you personally that it will know what is best for itself and for the rest of Egypt. You don't need to doubt yourself, Mahad; you will make a fine Guardian. Perhaps even greater than myself."

"You do me a great flattery, Master Akunadin." Mahad's voice was still cold. "However, I think I'll wait for the Ring's decision to develop any kind of emotion on this matter. If you will excuse me, I'd like to pay my respects to Fadil."

There was a short burst of footsteps which faded quickly, followed by a second; Akunadin's. Then silence.

Suddenly much more sombre, Bakura turned away again and made towards the meal hall again, his mind processing what he had heard.

Thinking about it now, eavesdropping had been a bad idea; Akunadin always knew who was nearby. It was impossible to hide anything from he who possessed the Millennium Eye. This meant that Akunadin himself had made no attempt to hide from Bakura that he didn't believe he was worthy of the vacated role.

And, whether Bakura cared to admit it or not, this hurt. No matter how distrustfully Akunadin often treated him, he was still his mentor and the closest thing he had to a father. Through all of his childhood and even his short adult life, he really did want to make the Pharaoh's brother proud of him.

Bakura gave a sad sigh, shaking his head.

He had been right about one thing, though. All of the bets were on Mahad for the Guardian of the Millennium Ring. He felt incredibly touched by Mahad's loyalty to him. Was he really worthy of what his friend had said?

He rubbed his forehead abstractly. _Mahad trusts me with his life – and anybody can tell that I trust him with mine. He's like a brother to me._

_But do I really deserve his friendship? _He hated to admit it, but Akunadin was right; he was not Mahad's equal. Mahad was stronger, smarter, better with magic, and he had lived his whole life in the palace. Bakura's dirty roots as the last survivor of a village of thieves were nothing.

He gave another sigh. Maybe he should follow Mahad's example; wait until the Ring had made its decision to develop any emotion. That couldn't be too hard. Could it?

He shook his head with frustration. Now was no time to be thinking about his prospects as a Guardian. He had work to do.

As he reached his destination he began to slow his pace, running a list of names through his head as to who he would need to find. There was Atem, of course, but he wasn't a candidate. Who was old enough by now? There was Shada…and Isis…


	12. Sacred Guardian of the Millennium Ring

"I'd like to thank you all for coming here on such short notice, especially in such a time of mourning."

Bakura heard a few whispers amongst the other magic students assembled. By this point, everybody knew why they were there.

Beside him, Mahad's face wore a mask of stone for all the emotion it showed. He was even tenser than every other candidate there, including Bakura himself.

Lining the sides of the room was a small crowd of spectators. Some were younger magic students – Bakura noticed Mana peering out from behind a taller man. Others were scribes and other palace officials.

The candidates had formed a half-circle at the centre of the room, facing the five remaining Guardians and the Pharaoh, as well as Atem. At fourteen, the young prince was nearly as tall as his father and had the same fiery, passionate spark within his violet eyes.

It was Aknamkanon who was speaking, standing a few feet in front of the others. The Millennium Puzzle glinted dully from around his neck alongside the Millennium Ring, which dangled from a papyrus rope in his hand. From the far left side of the semi-circle, Bakura and Mahad stood, watching him intently.

The Pharaoh gave a brief sigh. "The Millennium Ring is without a Guardian, and as the Pharaoh it is my first priority to remedy this before attending to anything else."

The candidates straightened up.

"The Ring, like the other Millennium Items, is an object of great power…I am confident that each and every one of you here possesses the strength and wisdom to wield such a power as well as its last Guardian did." He scanned the half-circle, his gaze lingering on Mahad.

"However, the Ring has its own will, and will not accept simply anyone. It must select the bearer it sees fit to give its power to."

He looked at each of them in turn. "I will place the Millennium Ring around each of your necks. The person it chooses will become apparent when it is worn by that person."

Bakura, who was last in line, looked sideways. That meant Mahad would be trying on the Ring before him. _It's probably best that way._

"Bakura," Mahad whispered, his voice barely audible. "I don't want to do this."

Before Bakura had a chance to answer, Aknamkanon lifted the Ring and stepped towards the first candidate; a young man by the name of Panshj. He held his breath as the Ring was lowered over his head and fell limply against his chest.

Nothing.

Bakura let out the breath he hadn't realised he was holding.

He could sense the rising tension amongst the students, which only increased as the Ring went from person to person…closer and closer to Mahad and Bakura. A few of the faces were easy to read; when the Ring rejected Isis, a breathtaking young woman with black hair and the only female candidate, her look was of obvious relief. Other students expressed disappointment, others fear. In every case, they visibly relaxed when their turn was over.

And then, all too suddenly, it was Mahad's turn. Every person in the room held their breaths, Mahad especially. He cast Bakura a glance with more fear than he had ever seen in his friend's eyes. Gulping, he bowed his head as the papyrus rope was placed around his neck. With unnatural slowness, the Ring plonked lightly against his chest.

And nothing happened.

After a few seconds, nothing continued to happen.

Mahad let out a long, shaky breath, removing the Ring from around his neck as quickly as possible. His hand was visibly trembling. "I guess it's not me, then." In all of his life, Bakura had never seen him so shaken.

After the initial shock of Mahad's rejection, a chorus of gasps overcame the onlookers. It was painstakingly obvious who the only remaining candidate was.

_Calm down. Just _calm down. _There's still a chance it won't choose _any_ of us._

Trying and failing to supress the surprise he was feeling, Aknamkanon took the Millennium Item from Mahad's shaking hand and turned to Bakura.

Bakura's eyes were looked on the Ring, an all too familiar feeling of feverish, unadulterated desire washing over him. Even after nine years, the strange obsession that gripped him like a vice whenever he saw the Item had not gone away. He was vaguely aware of Mahad – and everybody else in the room – staring at him, but for all their stares, he couldn't bring himself to look away from the golden Millennium Item which dangled in the hands of his King.

"Bakura." The sound of his name broke the spell. With a jolt, Bakura's head shot up to look the Pharaoh in the eye. Nobody in the room dared to make a sound.

His gaze boring into him, Aknamkanon placed the Ring around Bakura's neck.

The response was instantaneous. A blinding golden light erupted from the eye at the Ring's centre. Bakura would have squished his eyes shut were he not distracted by another sensation – a sudden burning sensation that resembled that of having a flaming torch shoved roughly against his chest. Bakura let out a groan of pain, doubling over. With an alarmed intake of breath, Bakura realised that the Ring itself had actually _attached_ itself to his chest; its five prongs literally piercing his clothing and embedding themselves into his skin.

He was barely aware of the gasps that came from everybody watching. Mana called out his name and darted forward, only to be restrained by another of the onlookers. Clutching at his chest, Bakura sank to his knees, aware that all eyes were on him, whilst nobody in the room was moving to assist him. Even Mahad was frozen in place.

And then, as quickly as it had started, it was over. Still hanging from its rope, the Millennium Ring released its hold on him and fell limply to the floor beneath Bakura, who was on his hands and knees, panting. The pain dwindled away to finally leave nothing but a dull sting from the five wounds left by the prongs, which even before his eyes were healing with an inhuman efficiency.

Bleary-eyes and breathing heavily, Bakura raised his eyes to meet the Pharaoh's. Aknamkanon's face displayed no emotion for several seconds, before an unexpected smile appeared.

"So let it be written, so let it be done. The Ring has made its decision. Stand up, Sacred Guardian Bakura."


	13. Chapter 13

For all the importance – importance being an understatement – of the next minutes of Bakura's life, he was fated not to remember them. There was far too much going on inside his head for him to take in the outside stimuli necessary to lay down memory – or indeed, to even be aware of what was going on at the present time. Everything happened as though there were a stone wall between Bakura and the rest of the onlookers; he knew that something important was going on only inches away, but for all he looked, he just couldn't see.

The Ring had chosen him. He, Bakura, had been selected as the Guardian of the Millennium Ring, over Mahad and every other candidate assembled alongside him.

He looked at Mahad. His friend's face was a mask of stone that sent a chill down Bakura's spine. He had never known Mahad to look so…emotionless.

Gradually, he became aware of what was going on. There was some kind of ceremony; the other five Guardians as well as the Pharaoh had formed a circle around him. Bakura barely even noticed them; he eyes were still trained on Mahad, who was stepping backwards away from the circle. He noticed Atem appear at his side, and Mana a few seconds later as she finally managed to break free of the crowd. She was saying something quietly into Atem's ear.

Hesitantly, Bakura touched the gold artefact now hanging from his neck. This contact sent a tingle through his fingers, giving him goosebumps. He gulped.

Mahad's gaze didn't waver; he just kept staring. His expression had changed – or rather, appeared. He didn't look hostile or cold or even surprised, just bemused. Bakura could almost hear him thinking from where he stood.

Everything that happened after that was a blur.

* * *

><p>When the ceremony was finally over and the six Item Bearers stepped away, a throng of people rushed in to surround the new Guardian with congratulations. An amused smile on his face, Mahad got out of the way, pulling Atem and Mana along with him. He would wait until everyone else had spoken with Bakura; they would need a proper talk.<p>

"I was so sure it would be you, Mahad," Atem admitted tersely.

Mahad laughed. "You and everyone else here."

Mana tugged his sleeve. "You're not disappointed are you?"

Mahad lifted an eyebrow at her. "Disappointed? Gods, no. I'm relieved."

"Really?" Atem and Mana both looked doubtful.

Mahad laughed more light-heartedly than he felt. "It's a huge responsibility. And while I would have been happy to take it on, I'm glad it hasn't fallen to me. Bakura's got a huge task on his hands; he'll need all the help he can get." Mahad suddenly grinned and ruffled Atem's already spiky hair. "Don't worry; if he treats this like anything else in his life he'll pawn off most of the work to me anyway."

Atem looked away for a moment and then sighed. "Well at any rate, I'm just as glad it's Bakura as I would have been for you – it could easily have been one of the others, and I honestly don't know them that well. I'd trust Bakura with my life."

"Me too." Mahad looked over the crowd again at Bakura, still thinking deeply. After a second, Mana grabbed Atem's hand and pulled him into the throng of people to congratulate the new guardian.

* * *

><p>"Mahad!"<p>

Mahad straightened up from the wall upon which he had been leaning. "Hey, Bakura."

An uncomfortable moment passed.

They were standing outside the entry to the ceremonial chamber where the selection had taken place, the crowd having finally dissipated and the Pharaoh having let Bakura go. Mahad had been waiting patiently for him all this time.

"Congratulations!" Mahad said suddenly with vigour. "You really did it."

"It should have been you," Bakura said matter-of-factly.

Mahad sighed. "What makes you say that? You think you're not worthy?"

"No!" Bakura exclaimed. "I don't! I was born a thief, Mahad! A thief can't be responsible for the protection of Egypt, it's not right. I…"

Mahad lifted an eyebrow. "Is that really your reason?"

Bakura blinked. "What else would it be?"

Mahad rolled his eyes. "You've gone through your entire life putting your past behind you. Whatever you are now, it certainly isn't a thief. You don't think of yourself as a criminal any more than I do."

Bakura didn't answer. With a smile, Mahad placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know you, Bakura; it isn't your worthiness that you doubt, it's yourself."

Bakura let out a long, ragged breath. Then, slowly, he nodded. "I can't do this, Mahad. It's not my ability in magic or even the dangers of the position that I'm worried about. It's…the Ring." His head snapped up, violet eyes blazing. "I can't control it…but it can control me. I can feel it already."

Mahad looked at the object hanging limply from its papyrus rope. He knew for a fact that he wasn't the only one it mesmerised on site.

Bakura picked it up and stared at it abstractly, just as captivated at Mahad. "I can't even look at it without feeling…obsession, madness, possessiveness. Mahad, I can't look at it without thinking that I'd kill for it. And that terrifies me."

Without thinking about it, Mahad reached forward and brushed his fingers across the golden eye, feeling them tingle as he did so. Bakura involuntarily jerked it away, making him jump. After an awkward moment, he held it out again, and Mahad's hand returned to it.

"I know you feel it too," Bakura said. "It marked both of us when we were ten. It may have chosen me to be its Guardian, but I don't need the Millennium Necklace to know that both of our destinies are tied to it somehow. There's a reason it makes us feel the way we do; it wants us to do something."

"The Ring isn't evil, Bakura," Mahad said, wondering who he was trying to assure. "Its job it to protect Egypt; whatever it wants us to do, it won't be bad."

Tearing his eyes away, Bakura let the Ring fall back against his chest. "I hope you're right, you know." His eyes darkened. "For all our sakes."

Mahad didn't answer this. Instead, he broke into a sudden unexpected smile. "Don't worry about the Ring, Bakura; you're stronger than you think, and if you won't have faith in your ability to use it, I will."

Bakura gave a soft smile. "What would I do without you?"


End file.
